Lawmaker launches month-long obesity campaign

One state lawmaker has come up with his own way to address obesity in South Carolina.

Rep. Bakari Sellers, D-Bamberg, launched Healthy March earlier this week — a website designed to educate the public how to slim down and raise money for the Harvest Hope Food Bank.

“I wanted to start the campaign … about how we can become healthy,” Sellers said.

“We want to raise a couple thousand dollars. That can go a long way to helping the Harvest Hope Food Bank.”

In February, Sellers sparred with Gov. Nikki Haley on Twitter about her obesity initiative that would prohibit people on food stamps from buying unhealthy items like soda and chips. South Carolina needs permission from the federal government to implement that program.

“This is acknowledging something that should have been acknowledged a long time ago,” Haley said in February when she announced her plan. “South Carolina is now in the business of doing things about the problems we have in our state and making them better.”

Sellers said he doesn’t think it will work.

“I don’t think it tackles the real issues – cost and accessibility to these healthy items,” he said.

About one-third of South Carolinians are considered obese.

For more information about Healthy March, or to donate to the food bank, visit www.healthymarch.com.

Read more in an upcoming edition of The Post and Courier.

Reach Lauren Sausser at 937-5598.